Family, fashion and a marquee made entirely their own – Angus and Nikki’s Ayrshire wedding was personal, polished and full of stylish details

Bride and groom posing with a vintage red tractor at an Ayrshire farm wedding marquee reception

This fashion-forward Ayrshire wedding put family first. It was centred around a poignant and meaningful religious ceremony followed by a blank-canvas marquee wedding reception at Cockenzie Steading in Dalry, with luxurious flowers and high-impact styling.

Wedding highlights at a glance

Ceremony venue | Kilwinning Abbey Church 
Reception venue | Cockenzie Steading, Dalry, Ayrshire (the bride's family farm)
Date | 19th July 2025
Photography | Gemma Purdon Photography
Guests | 160 (plus evening guests)
Decor | Luxe florals, sculptural paper roses, candlelight tablescape
Ceremony | Religious ceremony 
Entertainment | The Distractions Live Showband 

A family-led wedding in Ayrshire

For the new Mr and Mrs Wheeler, family wasn’t simply present – it shaped the day. “Family is everything to us,” says Nikki. “We wanted the day to carry as many special memories as possible, so we held our reception on my parents’ farm in Ayrshire where I grew up. It felt right to celebrate somewhere that holds so much history for our family.”


Amazing Ayrshire wedding venues


Their church wedding ceremony at Kilwinning Abbey also included a reading with deep meaning: Corinthians 13:4, read by the bride’s mum. “She read it at my uncle’s wedding and at my grandparents’ funerals,” says Nikki. “It sums up everything I’ve learned about love from my family.”

Bride and groom kissing at the altar in Kilwinning Abbey Church wedding ceremony, Ayrshire, with stained glass backdrop.

From Instagram DMs to a Stockholm proposal

But first: the beginning. The couple met after Angus messaged Nikki on Instagram. “Angus thought I was a girl from Dennistoun he’d met on a night out. I wasn’t, of course, and I corrected him; really, I just liked what I saw,” laughs Nikki.

After designing Nikki’s engagement ring together at ROX in Glasgow, Angus proposed on a trip to Stockholm. “He popped the question in Stockholm, and honestly, he was more worried about getting his cream chinos dirty when he was down on one knee than he was about me saying no!”

Turning a blank-canvas marquee into a luxury setting

The wedding took place in July 2025, two years after the engagement. “We always knew we wanted to create something personal,” Nikki explains. “A marquee is a blank canvas, which can be daunting, but it does allow you to make it entirely your own. Admittedly, it was hard to find certain things within our budget.”

To bring the look together, Nikki worked with planner and stylist Caroline Smyth Bickerstaff at The Creative Occasion Co. “She’s an absolute inspiration,” says Nikki. “We worked together for nearly two years, and she missed nothing. She kept everything calm and structured, so that when the day finally arrived we could just enjoy it.”


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One key tip?

“Trends change so quickly. The delay gave me time to refine my ideas and make sure everything still felt current.”

Luxe florals, statement styling and travel-inspired tables

A love of travel informed the styling throughout. “I love the grandeur of some of the hotels we’ve stayed at on our travels, and I wanted to bring that elegance into the marquee,” says Nikki.

Glasgow florist Lucienne Luxe created lush floral installations, while Grand Flora added sculptural paper roses. 


Lucienne Luxe styled the flowers at our bridal photoshoot with Emily Shak at The Collector's Hall


Inside the marquee, a mix of round, trestle and on-trend serpentine tables gave the layout movement. “We had our closest family seated at a serpentine table named ‘Home’ – all the other tables were named after places we’ve been to on our travels.”

Personal details appeared everywhere too — from stationery lyrics to handmade touches. “The lyrics of our favourite artist, Dave, made their way on to our prints and invitations.” 

“We even had mini tambourines to encourage our guests to make some noise!”

“My dad runs a plant hire company, and one of his first machines was a tractor he bought from my grandpa,” Nikki tells us. “He restored it for the wedding and had our names and date added to the dial. It meant so much.”

Red vintage tractor decorated with wedding flowers and greenery outside a marquee venue.

A bespoke bridal cape

Nikki’s bridal style was equally standout: an Eva Lendel gown from Anne Priscilla Bridal in Glasgow. “It was the first dress I tried on,” she recalls. “I went back after trying on loads of others as I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Inspired by Leonie Hanne, Nikki created a bespoke 3D rose cape with the boutique team.

“I have to say, it was iconic!” 

Vintage Christian Louboutin heels and a blue Prada bag finished the look, before a De La Vali second dress ensured she could “properly get on that dancefloor!”

Live music and a packed dancefloor

Their first dance was to 'Coming Home' by Leon Bridges, before The Distractions Live Showband kicked off the party. “They were insanely good – worth every penny,” says Nikki.


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“One of my favourite parts of the reception was a personalised rendition of 50 Cent’s ‘In Da Club’ changed to “Yo, shawty, it’s your wedding day”, while I lapped it up in true main-character-energy style.

“And seeing my dad and my new husband dancing together to ‘Too Many Man’ by Wiley is a moment that will live rent-free in my head forever!”

Black and white portrait of bride in long veil and off-the-shoulder wedding dress standing in an Ayrshire field.

A wedding day to remember

Despite hosting 160 guests, Nikki felt completely at ease. “I knew everyone there loved Angus or me or both of us, and that’s such a comforting feeling.”

“My favourite takeaway from the wedding is just what a privilege it was to have everyone who has ever walked with us, supported us, loved us, being part of our memories – and us recognising that moment might never happen again,” muses Nikki.

“I just wish time had gone slower. Our guests raved about everything… and how much they enjoyed the free bar, too,” she jokes.

Newlyweds entering marquee wedding reception to cheering guests during stylish Ayrshire farm wedding

Wedding suppliers

Ceremony venue Kilwinning Abbey Church 
Reception venue The bride’s parents’ farm, Cockenzie Steading, Dalry 
Planning and styling The Creative Occasion Co
Marquee Finesse Marquees 
Photography Gemma Purdon Photography 
Filmmaker Your Day Productions 
Content creation The Event Edition 
Bride’s dress Rozalli by Eva Lendel from Anne Priscilla Bridal, with a custom-made cape 
Accessories Vintage Christian Louboutin heels from Vestiaire Collective, and Prada bag 
Evening dress De La Vali 
Bridal dresser Admire Bridal Dressing 
Makeup By Naomi Makeup Artist and Carla Kent Makeup Artist  
Hair Tony Robertson and Thomas Seisay 
Nails Nails by Jennifer   
Aesthetic treatments Westerwood Health Clinic  
Bride’s eyelashes The Lash Clinic at The Eyebrow Lady, Glasgow 
Groomswear and groomsmen Reiss and Slater Menswear 
Bridesmaid dresses Kiwi & Co 
Mother of the bride’s outfit Mia Bella 
Engagement ring ROX 
Wedding rings Austen & Blake 
Catering Artisan Catering 
Bar Optex Mobile Bars 
Flowers Lucienne Luxe 
Giant paper flowers Grand Flora 
Cake Janet Murray, a family friend
Stationery KB Invitations 
Reception band The Distractions Live Showband 
Ceremony and drinks reception music Romy McCahill @pianstagram
Furniture hire 360 Event Hire 
Table linens 88 Events 
Transport Bennett’s of Kilwinning 
Groundwork, machinery for signs and floodlighting R & L Miller Ltd

Bridal feather fan place setting detail with pearl lettering at luxury marquee wedding reception in Ayrshire
Bride spritzing perfume in off-the-shoulder wedding dress with dramatic floral sleeves before Ayrshire marquee wedding
Bride portrait under veil in countryside field during elegant summer farm wedding in Ayrshire
Bride walking down the aisle at Kilwinning Abbey Church wedding ceremony, Ayrshire, with long veil and red carpet.
Close-up of bride holding a white orchid bouquet and pearl handle handbag with calla lilies for summer wedding details.
Bridesmaids in leopard print dresses holding calla lilies during wedding ceremony at Kilwinning Abbey Church, Ayrshire.
Bride and groom standing outside Kilwinning Abbey Church entrance in Ayrshire after wedding ceremony, holding orchid bouquet.
Aperol Spritz drinks station with personalised ‘Love at First Spritz’ sign at Ayrshire marquee wedding reception
Bride and groom arriving hand in hand for wedding dinner inside a luxury marquee reception in Ayrshire
Bride giving a wedding speech during marquee reception on family farm in Ayrshire
Bride and groom portrait in countryside field during summer wedding on family farm in Ayrshire
Wedding table styling with blush linen, green glassware, apples and grapes, and modern floral centrepieces in Ayrshire marquee.
Black and white photo of bride and groom cutting a tiered wedding cake during marquee reception in Ayrshire.
Construction digger holding a “With my whole heart for my whole life” banner at an outdoor farm wedding reception in Ayrshire.
Yellow wedding seating plan cards on white shelving with green apples and grapes styling.
Close-up of hands holding a ‘Working on a Wedding’ booklet during a wedding ceremony.
Black and white photo of newlyweds holding hands on a checkered dance floor inside a wedding marquee

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